


The Afterglow

by novalunas



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Consent, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Graphic Description, Historical Fantasy, Humor, I just miss my babies, In a way, Magic, Major Original Character(s), Manga & Anime, Original Character(s), Other, Slow Burn, idk what to tag, well at least i hope its entertaining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:14:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27051748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novalunas/pseuds/novalunas
Summary: After encountering a mysterious young woman aiding the sick all on her own in a village, the Happy Hungry Bunch was passing through, they realize, she may be just as alike as they are. At least she has the wit to join them. Oh, and the ability to heal.
Relationships: An Lili/Original Female Character(s), Shin-Ah (Akatsuki no Yona)/Original Character(s), Son Hak/Yona
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	1. First Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this is my very first try at publishing some of my writing, though i've been trying for quite some time now. i'm confident enough with this to post it actually ^-^ also, i do have an introduction of my oc saved, so if this actually gets some feedback, i might post it as an extra chapter some time!  
> anyway, i hope you, who is currently reading this little note, enjoys the rest - or just the start - of this chapter! feedback would be appreciated, since i'm new to this and all~!  
> -novaluna  
> (btw, i don't own any of the akatsuki no yona characters or the storyline. just my oc :])

“I’m telling you, if we pass this village, there will definitely be a river to fill up our necessities soon. Now, stop whining!” Yoon emphasizes headstrong. 

They’ve been wandering for quite some time now, but it has never been _this_ unbearable, he reflects. Having four Dragon Warriors, a former ex-general and a red-haired princess by one’s side could be pleasant on some days, but on most it was a burden. _Feeding seven people - and a squirrel - (almost) each day, how am I not out of recipes yet?_

As the Bunch was approaching the nearing village by each mile, they realized how unbelievably tired they had been these past days. Somehow, recently, there have been more Fire Soldier officials walking around the abandoned villages. After having to come back to Saika again for medical products, only available there, the Happy Hungry Bunch decided to stop by a few villages again and help those, who needed aiding immediately. It is a good and comforting feeling, helping. After all, Yona hasn’t been able to do so, for as long as it feels, already. 

Approaching the village, it seems like not a single human being has been here long enough now. The simple houses were come down, the once-bright wood almost black, parts of them even having multiple and chipped, tiny holes near the bottom of the past homes. Probably termites, how vile.

As soon as they walked relatively into the center of the village, the Bunch encountered people sitting on small stone walkways in front of a few houses. _There are residents here?_

They stop walking, staring at each other with puzzled expressions on their faces. This usually doesn’t happen, and these people don’t even look under the weather either! 

“Should we go ask?’’ Yoon asks into the round, _slightly_ confused and _slightly_ relieved to see no unwell or dying person again. No one dies, if he can intervene and aid them on time.

They nod, but no one moves. Huh.

Jae-Ha sighs and starts walking towards an elderly woman, who appears to be knitting a cloak. _What a sweet sight._

“Excuse me, lovely lady, how come there is barely any ill person here? It just seems unusual to see such a lively village in the Fire Tribe recently,’’ he explains. The old woman lets out a small laugh, her eyes crinkling with joy. 

“We were blessed with a wonderful miracle, as of recently. You will find out yourself, soon,’’ she smiles, her eyes holding a kind of affectionate glow, which makes Jae-Ha frown in confusion. _A miracle?_ He nods in thanks and goes back to his friends, missing the woman stealing a glance at the others, who already have their eyes set on him, waiting for Jae-ha to elaborate. “Well, apparently, there’s a miracle flowing around here somewhere,’’ he says, the confusion not wearing off his face. 

“A miracle?’’ Kija asks him. “That’s all the lady had to say?’’ Jae-Ha nods. 

Not happy with their given answer, Hak looks around. Searching for any kind of miracle, _well, supposedly one._ Yona’s eyes follow him, a sense of familiarity overcoming her. _Maybe I should look around_ , she thinks and begins to move her feet unwillingly at the same time. Shin-Ah turns to look at her, his frown still apparent, though not as visible under his mask. He decides to follow her, when Yoon calls out to Yona, asking where she is heading to. “Just looking around!’’ she says, separating herself from the Bunch with every step taken. Not so very soon later, the remaining ones begin to catch up as well. 

“Miss, do you have this sense of wonder again, same as when you met the Dragon Warriors?’’ Zeno asks cheerfully, skipping steps and catching up to Yona’s side, walking alongside her. She nods her head, whilst staring at the different come-down houses, but still perfectly fine people of the village. They were lively doing their daily tasks. Some were picking the current harvest off their gardens, though it was not much, it certainly was enough. Vegetables glowing under the scorching summer sun, a cool breeze making the bright peach trees sway in synchronization. The various birds were singing continuously, hidden in the greens surrounding the houses and edging against the forest. Walking down a street near the end of the townlet, the crashing of waves against the shores was still hearable, though they sounded distant nonetheless. 

“Princess, don’t you think this is a bit suspicious?’’ behind her, Hak questions softly, not wanting to be heard by the residents, which Yona only furrows her eyebrows at. “It certainly is odd,’’ she agrees with him. Lost in thought, she moves to round a corner on an empty street, only to suddenly run into a small child, making Yona and the child fall onto the ground. 

Startled, she stands quickly, before the others of her group can even begin to form a sentence, asking her if she is alright, and hurries to the little boy, who still wasn’t able to get up. The surprise literally written on his face. “Oh my god, are you alright? You didn’t hurt yourself, did you? I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going!’’ 

The boy simply shakes his head, smiling up at her and accepts her stretched-out hand to get up. “No way, I’m alright, really! After Eun-Ji healed me yesterday, I have become indestructible!’’ he excitedly exclaims. “Your knee is bleeding’’ Yoon points out, dryly. Though, he moves closer to inspect the injury better. _Just an abrasion thankfully, nothing he can’t fix!_ He moves to open his bag to grab an ointment when-

_Wait, who’s Eun-Ji?_

Yona asks the question, before he can even begin to start talking. “She’s the young lady helping us heal our wounds!’’ he slightly mumbles, red hue starting to be evident on his small, chubby cheeks. 

Yona turns to give the others a knowing glance and they nod. _We found our miracle._

“Could you show us where Eun-Ji is?’’ Yona asks the boy softly. He nods and grabs her hand once again, his small fingers beginning to tug her along. “Of course! Eun-Ji will be so joyful to meet new friends!’’ he yells, dragging Yona with him a bit quicker and making Yoon and the rest fasten their pace again to catch up. _This constant running after her is getting quite tiring._

* * *

After turning a few more corners, the Happy Hungry Bunch found themselves on what seems to be a marketplace-like open area, since there were no sellers and the stalls were left empty. Though, unusually, the sounds of children’s joyful screechings were very much hearable, echoing across the hollow area. At least there is hope in these precious children.

“She must be helping someone in there again!’’

The boy stops walking and points to a stall, which has dark green curtains draped over the roof and falling down to cover the sides, making being able to see _anything_ impossible. In the same moment they stop in front of the stall, the curtains open and fall and a, relatively older, man walks out, bandage wrapped around his forehead and skull. 

Soon after his leave, the small boy steps inside and mumbles inaudible words to whoever may be inside the stall. Yona frowns, they could come back again later, if they’re busy?

Her thoughts are interrupted by a young woman, who Yona assumes to be about her age, walking out, one hand holding onto the boy’s hand, whose name is still unknown. Everyone’s eyes widen at her lavender colored hair, falling slightly past her shoulders. _This is an unusual surprise._

The boy hurries off, bandage now wrapped around his knee too, but not before the mysterious girl yells after him, “Don’t forget to treat your wound, I don’t want your knee falling off!’’ She giggles to herself.

She turns to the Bunch, her turn to widen her eyes now. _Huh, they seem like an unique group of entertainers_ , she thinks.

“How can I help you?’’ She questions, into the round, a slight smile playing on her lips, not expecting an answer from anyone particular. Jae-ha steps slightly forward, next to Yona and, once again, begins to start talking,

“Well, hello there, Dear. We were just passing through this village, when noticing there does not seem to be any ill person here. A source told us the reason was because of a certain miracle, which has been spreading its blessing here.’’ The corners of his mouth turn up.

“Ah, yes, that would be me, as you can see,’’ she states with a proud grin on her face. 

“Have you been aiding everyone here? Every person?’’ Yoon wonders and Eun-Ji continues to _proudly_ nod.

“Yes, I have! It’s taken some time, but I’m glad the amount of sick and injured is decreasing daily.’’ 

Yona feels herself take a step towards her, unable to stop looking at her. Somehow, she has this magical aura around her, which makes Yona gravitate to her. 

“Your name is Eun-Ji, right?’’ She asks and Eun-Ji nods again. “How did you manage to cure everyone of these terrible diseases? It’s like there has never even been a tiny bacteria entered this place,’’ Yoon questions again. _There’s no way I’ll believe this girl single-handedly heals everyone here_ , he thinks to himself.

At this, Eun-Ji’s brows furrow, her smile slipping off her face. Suspicion began to grow in her. Maybe these are officials, who have found her, again? _No way, she’s too far away from her once-called home now_ , she thinks.

“I’m not required to tell you, since this is the first time I’m meeting any of you. Besides, isn’t it a good thing I did help all of them? No one else seems to care about the ones suffering, anyway,’’ Eun-Ji states, anger meeting upon her suspicion. _Who are these people?_

The atmosphere shifts, a hint of awkwardness rising. Eun-Ji eyes the group in front of her, eyebrows furrowing. She notices the girl with red hair looking at the ground now, with sadness growing in her violet eyes. As if he can see through the back of her head, one of the taller men, a black-haired one, behind her steps forward and starts talking, a smirk rising on his mouth.

“We didn’t say it is a bad thing to be helping. It simply seems unusual for a young woman to do so. You don’t have anything better to do?’’ 

At this, Eun-Ji grows furious, failing to not get provoked by this guy. She isn’t intimidated per se, why would she? A tall man has nothing on her! She sees - and hears - some of the other members sputtering, disbelief etched onto their faces. Eun-Ji feels ridiculous. She feels herself wanting to impulsively yell at him, feels herself wanting to embarrass him the same way, but before she can act irrationally, the red-head says,

“We’re the same as you, actually. We have been traveling for some time now aiding across tribes. We’re just surprised someone is kind enough in their heart to consider doing as well. I want to thank you for that, really.’’ 

Her suspicion has grown too high - for now - to trust this group in some sort of way. Eun-Ji nods nonetheless, glad her efforts are being appreciated at least. She starts glancing at each person of this group individually now. The different heights, hair colors and attires raising her suspicion in a slightly amusing way. _They do look like a traveling entertainment group though._

First, she spots the boy with apricot hair in front of her, standing to the right from her, next to the - only - girl. His hair is decorated with feathers and he has a cloth bag slung around his shoulder, seemingly weighing him down with different items. To his right stands a boy with bright, yellow and messy hair. His blue eyes stand out compared to his warm-colored attire, as well as the green headband around his forehead. Eun-Ji startles at the smile he wears, just as bright as his hair. He seems to be one of the only two to be smiling out of the group, the other being the girl. Her smile seems different, soft. Somehow _comforting_.

Next, she looks at the tall, green-haired man, his hair tied back. Eun-Ji is impressed, _his hair is much longer than mine_ , she thinks. His strong, violet eyes gaze at her, though they do seem languid. Almost droopy. She slightly frowns at his long, dark blue robe, covering him completely, the tips of light grey boots peeking out under the ends of it. His presence feels mysteriously charming to her. She can’t deny that all of these people have a very unique aura to them, individually and as a group. 

On his left, a man with pale skin and white hair stands next to him. He seems rather young, compared to the other taller men. He’s beautiful to look at, Eun-Ji realizes. His blue eyes emitting protectiveness and suspicion, as well, as he observes her quietly. Different to the green-haired one, his robe is white with blue hemlines and accompanied by a light cape and a blue cloak. She realizes - once again - how _slightly_ envious she is of the clothing belonging to some of these men. _Slightly._

Her eyes dart to the back, breath slightly hitching in her throat, at the _horned_ _skull mask_ completely fixated on her, his mouth devoid of emotion, which could possibly reveal _anything_ to her. She hasn’t heard this one utter a word out, yet. White fur, which she just assumes isn’t his actual hair somehow, is attached to the mask and...she takes in, for the first time, the small squirrel sitting on his left shoulder, hiding in the big fur. It’s _also_ staring at her, but in a...friendly way? Eun-Ji’s eyes widen again. He wears a black robe with white fur trimming over a blue turtleneck shirt, along with two necklaces hanging around his neck. She definitely found interest in his oddly unique appearance.

Next to the masked man stands the - _annoying_ \- black-haired one. He’s definitely almost two heads taller than her, his broad and well-built frame doing nothing, but conveying this fact. His attire mainly consists of dark blue tones - overcoat, as well as robe. In his left hand seems to be a weapon of some kind, the front of it draped in a white cloth. He looks at her with a hint of smugness or some sort of mischief, thus making his eyes sparkle by some means. Eun-Ji feels her anger boiling inside of her again, eyebrows only furrowing deeper. He seems amused by her, what a joke. _How can one man piss her off this much already just by his mere presence?_

Calming down, her eyes lastly land on the red-haired girl in front of her. Her large, round and violet eyes gaze at her already in wonder and determination. Hair incredibly curly and red, it’s cut down to above her shoulders, the ends grazing her neck slightly. She wears a white gown and a red vest, held together by a light pink sash tied around her waist. _Well, this certainly is a well-rounded group._

An idea sparks in Eun-Ji’s head after having taken a look at each person. _I know exactly how they can show gratitude properly._

“You know, _how_ you can thank me?’’ she asks. “I would severely appreciate it.’’

Yona nods enthusiastically, “How? We would love to!’’

“You help me aid these remaining villagers. In return, I’ll tell you _exactly_ how I help them.’’

The Bunch grows even quieter than before. Should they really give in to her offer, it isn’t necessarily a bad one either and certainly easier, than what they had to do before to get specific information. Maybe Eun-Ji could be a useful help with her skill? She must be working fast, if a whole village is already aided because of her. 

The Dragons all glance at Yona in question, if they should accept her proposal. Yona turns around to Hak, his approval important for this decision, since it seems Eun-Ji has asked her specifically. He doesn’t answer fast enough though, before Yoon, who was looking at Yona until now, asks, 

“And what are we supposed to do?’’

Eun-Ji feels her grin surface again as she says, “Well, since I am not a skilled craftsman, I wasn’t able to fix the broken parts of the houses. So, your tall men here could certainly be a big help for that, don’t you think?’’ She moves to enter the stall again behind her and comes back shortly after, carrying a wicker basket filled with different tools, including a slightly curved hammer. The handle is a dark brown color with a bigger piece of stone working as the head, edges of it already broken off or missing. Seems like she really isn’t skilled in craftsmanship. “They seem physically fit enough, at least, to do so.’’ 

She stretches out her hand holding the basket, small cuts and red marks visible on the back of her hand, wrist and fingers. Yona wonders how she got them. She reaches out to take the basket from Eun-Ji, when Hak beats her to it and gets a hold of it first. 

Eun-Ji turns around again to retreat back into the stall, but she stops and spins back to the group to say, 

“Don’t worry, big guy, I have a different task for your red-head and the two boys here. Wipe that frown off your face or you’ll get terrible wrinkles.’’ With this, she heads back inside, smirk on her lips, and drapes falling shut. Then the Happy Hungry Bunch are left alone.

It’s silent for a few moments, before Jae-Ha burst into laughter, unable to stop himself. He already found a liking to this girl, as he glances at Hak to find him already a blushing mess. Eun-Ji really managed to fluster the Thunder Beast in front of Yona. Of course, she is oblivious to his behavior – or his feelings, for that matter. 

“Huh, she seems like she can’t get enough of you.’’ He can’t say much after this though, since Hak’s fist finds the top of his head soon close behind. 

“Watch your words, Droopy Eyes,’’ he grumbles. Jae-Ha strokes his head in displeasure. 

Yoon, having enough of their antics, starts walking in the direction of the people and houses spread around the market area. He turns to the others to call for Yona and Zeno, before adding,

“You four better not cause any problems, or you won’t get dinner tonight!’’

Zeno frowns as he manages to get to Yoon’s side with Yona and questions, 

“Kid, Zeno is excluded from this punishment, right?’’

“Yeah, of course. If I wouldn’t feed you daily, your immortality would actually wear off for once.’’ 

* * *

  
  


The other dragons and Hak have been fixing parts of many houses for some hours now, although sometimes they didn’t know what exactly to do, mostly only Kija and Shin-Ah though. 

For the first few minutes, Yona, Yoon and Zeno were watching them work, but not soon after, Eun-Ji returned again, urging the three to join her somewhere else. So they parted ways, even under Hak’s (and the Dragon’s) wary expression. It appears like they separate from the girl with much difficulty.

The younger ones are at an infirmary, put together at short notice in an emptied - but large - stall. Another huge curtain, or multiple, working as walls are covering the stall. Zeno was immediately dragged away by a few kids, since his bright hair is so strikingly visible, it caught their attention immediately. Of course, he didn’t complain and willingly followed them. Yona and Yoon stayed close to Eun-Ji, following her every step throughout the infirmary. From the outside, it seems that the inside is relatively small. Well, that is complete pretense.

“You don’t want to tell me you built this infirmary by yourself as well, don’t you? Since you apparently suck at craftsmanship,’’ Yoon says, as he moves past futons placed on the ground throughout the infirmary. Eun-Ji laughs at his choice of words loudly. 

“You’re quite the comedian, you know?’’ She stops to bend down and picks up a few folded blankets, then continues to walk. “What’s your name? I don’t think I asked any of you before,’’ she asks and stops again, this time to turn back to look at the two youngsters, a grin on her face. 

Yoon hesitates for a moment to look at Yona. Does she want to reveal her name, and potentially her status through that, to this stranger? Yona doesn’t spare him a glance though, as she answers,

“My name is Yona and this is my friend Yoon. The one who was dragged away by the children is Zeno. I think the others will tell you their names later on, since they’re a bit busy right now,’’ she smiles. Eun-Ji nods and returns the smile. Maybe having a girl around her age near her isn’t that bad for once.

“I would hope so, since it seems like I made the tall guy a bit furious earlier, huh?’’ she laughs, shrugging her shoulders. It doesn't bother her as much that she actually did, though. Eun-Ji moves to hand them over a blanket each and proceeds to walk, nearing a corner of the infirmary.

“And to answer your question: No, I didn’t build this, would’ve been amazing though, if I did. No, some men of this village helped me with this. They said it was the least they could do, while I was taking care of their children and parents.’’ Yona and Yoon’s gazes of determination turn into sympathy at her words. The people did appreciate her a lot. She opens a chest, holding open the lid as she gestures for Yona and Yoon to place the blankets inside. “I asked you to follow me, mainly to help me clean up here. It tends to get very untidy in here, when I have lots to do and lose track of time,’’ she grins, though the tips of her ears turn rosy, a betrayal of her confidence. 

Yoon laughs for the first time, since he met Eun-Ji and replies, “Aren’t you glad we’re here then?’’

Yona laughs when Eun-Ji nods with _much_ enthusiasm, “Of course! I don’t know how I would’ve done the whole fixing houses part, if not for your friends. I don’t want anyone here to be working a lot, since they should all rest properly first, before doing any heavy lifting or carrying,” she pauses and then adds, “Hey, would you mind collecting the futon mattresses and place them in the chests as well?’’ she asks them, before passing to gather some herself. 

Yoon and Yona move in her request and collect the mattresses on the futons spread across the stall. They really aren’t heavy at all, but carrying multiple at once does have an effect on one’s arms. The chests are distributed in almost every corner of the infirmary, two or three for each corner spread evenly. Yona is amazed how much and hard Eun-Ji works, since at the end of the day, they’re all still strangers to her in this village.

Seems like Yoon questions the exact same as well, because he frowns as he returns to Eun-Ji and asks her, “Hey, Eun-Ji...why are you doing all this for them anyway? Is there a reason?’’

Eun-Ji turns to him, having been cleaning up a corner near the back, whilst they collected and put away the mattresses. She wears a soft smile, Yoon thinks it looks like she was remembering something, hence the smile. He doesn’t seem to be far off either, because Eun-Ji explains soon after,

“There _is_ a reason, but...I don’t do it mainly because of it. For the most part, I help, because I have this feeling in my gut, which tells me I need to. I know I don’t, really, but this is what I love to do. So, why shouldn’t I? I use my privilege of being completely healthy for those who aren’t.’’

It’s silent again. Somehow, her way of speaking is very captivating and lets Yona reflect on herself unwillingly. Eun-Ji is definitely one of the kindest people, she has been blessed enough to meet. And so, she says exactly that with a slight agape mouth. Much to Eun-Ji’s surprise, she feels a blush spreading across her face and her neck. _Damnit, she was never good at handling compliments directed towards her._

She mumbles a thanks, but spins hurriedly to hide her blush, rearranging the futons as a distraction. When Yoon speaks up though, her interest is piqued up and her attention is on him.

“You don’t know this, but I’m actually an absolute talent in terms of cooking. I could probably prepare something for dinner, if there’s enough ingredients for a whole village, or at least for the ones, who need nutrients the most.’’ 

“That’s true! Yoon is an amazing cook and aider too!’’ Yona exclaims.

Eun-Ji, unable to control her overwhelming emotions for once, moves to strangle Yoon in a hug, her arms wrapped around his neck and face pressed against his. 

“I know we only met earlier, but thank you so much! Oh god, you would really do this for them?’’ she exclaims in disbelief. Yoon nods, still slung around her arms, a faint tint of red on his cheeks because of the unexpected embrace. 

“Yeah, I would. Do you know where to get ingredients then? I’ll start right away,’’ he asks her, once Eun-Ji lets go of him. Her grin now unable to disappear off her face.

“I do! You see _that_ lady’’—she points at a middle-aged woman on the other side of the infirmary, who is working on putting away ointments and bandages, with her index finger—“over there? She is in charge of cooking usually. Just ask her!’’ Yoon nods and departs from her and Yona. Yona doesn’t miss the slight grin on his mouth.

* * *

  
  


After Yoon split up from Yona and Eun-Ji, the girls left the infirmary as well and began to go check up on a few children. Eun-Ji told her she has to visit them frequently, since they tend to run - although they shouldn’t - around a lot, thus making their bandages loosen and fall off _many_ times. 

They found the children with Zeno near a water fountain, at another open market area, constantly chasing each other around it. The joyous screechings unmistakably echoing through the streets would let one think these children didn’t have covered injuries on their bodies, or even a scratch at all.

Currently, Yona found herself next to Eun-Ji, who is wrapping a new bandage around a girl’s ankle, tightening and knotting the ends together for assurance. The girl sitting on a stone attached to the fountain, dangles her unwounded leg distractingly, expecting to be released from Eun-Ji soon to go join her friends, and Zeno, again.

“Very well.’’ Eun-Ji finishes securing the bandage and stands again from her crouched down position before. “That should do it. Please be careful next time Mig-Young, your ankle should heal properly.’’ 

Mig-Young frowns, the concern on Eun-Ji’s face making her mouth tremble. She rubs her glassy eyes and nods. 

“Yes, Onee-chan,’’ she mumbles and Eun-Ji grins from ear to ear at the use of honorific, affectionately ruffling Mig-Young's hair afterwards. She pats her back softly to motion her to get going to her friends. Mig-Young’s feet touch the ground gently and she slowly makes her way to the other children, who are waiting for her with Zeno.

Yona, watching the reunion of Mig-Young and her friends happily, turns at the sound of Eun-Ji letting out a breath. Yona frowns at the exhaustion it carries out.

“I worry too much about them, like they’re my own children,’’ she chuckles. Eun-Ji takes her hand abruptly and pulls her to the back of the market region. They approach a small shed, hidden between a few houses. It seems minimalistic, but Yona thinks it looks home-like nonetheless. 

The prime colors painting the shed are mostly brown tones, a few light and darker ones. Wood panels working as multiple steadies are distributed along the sides. As they enter through the wooden door, Yona notices that there isn’t much interior decor, except a futon laying in a corner, beneath a small window, which has casements on the outside, letting in the daylight and warmth. Personal belongings of Eun-Ji, wrapped in a linen bag, are placed on a small table made out of wood, next to an extinguished candle, and lastly a dark brown cloak made out of wool is hanging on a hook on one of the walls near the entrance. 

“It’s small, but it does its job.’’ Eun-Ji says, as she sits down on the floor next to the table. “You’re probably used to something much more noble though, right, Princess?’’ 

Yona sputters, she didn’t expect her to know about her being the daughter of the royal family. It didn’t seem obvious though, with her short hair and different clothes, or just the cloak she constantly wears, did it? Yona feels her face getting warmer slowly, but surely. Eun-Ji chuckles at her expression.

“You thought I didn’t know? That’s foolish, everyone knows you,’’ she replies when Yona is still a bit too startled to say anything. When she finally does say something, it comes out slightly mellowly whispered, 

“But h-how?! I have always been cautious so far, even when Hak and the others thought I’d be discovered, I wasn’t. How come you recognized me?’’ Yona asks.

Eun-Ji pats the space next to her for Yona to sit down, and she does, before she replies, “Well, firstly, your hair. I mean, whoever doesn’t recognize you just by the fabled redness of it, clearly needs to get their eyesight checked. Additionally, after you introduced yourself, I kind of figured already. The resemblances of the descriptions I’ve heard so far were evident. It doesn't take a genius to figure out.’’

Yona lets out a laugh and Eun-Ji joins her, it’s peaceful with her. The growing closeness with a woman her age is always nice, and refreshing from all the men in her life, constantly. Besides, she still feels this certain energy from Eun-Ji, ever since meeting her. She needs to know what the cause of it is, soon.

“So, how’d you meet all these guys? I’m guessing they just didn’t immediately trail behind you for no cost,’’ Eun-Ji asks once they stop laughing. Her question holds genuine curiosity, as she speaks. 

The evening is slowly arriving and Yona hasn’t heard from her group for quite some hours now. She pushes the growing worry aside. _I’m sure they’re fine, nothing happens in a village as peaceful as this one._

“Some did, actually,’’ she laughs. “But no, they didn’t directly join me. Well, except Hak, he’s been with me ever since I’ve escaped the castle.’’

“You escaped the castle?!’’ Eun-Ji asks in astonished bewilderment. Yona nods, but starts fumbling with parts of her dress in nervousness. _Should I tell her?_

Eun-Ji picks up on the clumsy trait soon, so she mumbles understandingly, 

“You don’t have to tell me, it’s okay. I just hope no one is out searching for you?’’

Yona glances at her, notices her voice has turned softer when asking this. She is conflicted, unsure whether to tell Eun-Ji about everything, unsure if she can trust her enough or not. Unsure whether to tell her about the murder of her father and people involved, the prophecy of the Dragon Warriors and their abilities. About the gracious people she met. Unsure about her story. 

She clears her mind and comes to a conclusion,

“I think we should talk about this with the others. Let’s go find them, I’m sure Yoon has already finished cooking and is just waiting for our arrival.’’ Eun-Ji nods at her answer and moves to stand up, stretching her hand out to help Yona off the floor. She takes it, and they head out of Eun-Ji’s shed, back to where they last saw the others fixing houses.

* * *

  
  


Yona loses sight of Eun-Ji, the moment they spot Hak and the others, Yoon moving hurriedly to drag her to their pitched camping place and yelling something about needing to eat _now,_ because she didn’t for almost _two_ _days_.

The sun is setting by the time they’re sitting around the fire, eating Yoon’s stew. He claimed to have made almost a whole bucket, enough for everyone in the village to get a bowl from, with the ingredients he could find. Though, now, they only had each a bowl for themselves as a result as well. No one seemed to complain though, since they were used to less on some days already. 

They sit in comfortable silence, everyone munching on their dinner after a tiring day, where much physical work was required.

The last chirping of birds ease the atmosphere into a light-hearted evening, a slight breeze passing through their camp is taking away the remaining warm temperature, before night settles in. 

The Bunch is almost done eating, when Kija speaks up, hesitancy clearly recognizable in his voice, 

“Princess, wasn’t Eun-Ji hungry? Weren’t you with her the whole time?’’

Yona nods in agreement, because she was, she was the whole day with her, too! Somehow, she lost track of when Eun-Ji separated herself from them. It must’ve been before dinner. Maybe she was just too hungry to remember.

“I was, I think she simply didn’t join us for dinner, although she did want to talk to us whilst eating.’’

“Hopefully she will soon, since she still has to give us that reward she mentioned at first. I didn’t work my gorgeous behind off for nothing,’’ Jae-Ha replies, one leg resting on the log he’s sitting on, stroking through his hair absently. Everyone winces in disgust.

“Maybe she’s plotting our sudden and mysterious deaths right now,’’ Hak voices his thoughts out loud. He truly believes this girl is capable of killing him, she has the sass and intense stare for it. What a funny way to go out.

“Hak, don’t be like this! She’s helped so many of the sick and children in this village. The least we could do was help and show gratitude,’’ Yona scolds him slightly, he grumbles inaudible words in return and finishes his stew. 

It gets quiet for some time, and Jae-ha suddenly questions into the round again, 

“By the way, where _is_ Eun-Ji actually?’’

The group lays their eyes on Shin-Ah, one after another, and he uses his inhuman sharp vision to find and spot her, which isn’t a hard thing to do.

“She is just outside the village… on a rock…’’

“The Cheery Miss is sitting on a rock, alone?’’ Zeno asks surprised, Shin-ah furrows his brows and swiftly nods, Ao on his shoulder munching on a piece of meat. Frowns find their way onto a few faces, when Hak speaks out once more, 

“Actually, let’s leave her alone, she’s probably not used to a group of our kind.’’ Kija scowls at his words and turns to him,

“What is that supposed to mean!’’ he exclaims, waving his fists agitatedly.

“Oh, absolutely nothing, White Snake,’’ Hak says unenthusiastically, though as the corners of his mouth curl up slightly, he betrays his own supposed composure, and Kija turns red.

“How many times do I have to say this?! I’m not a snake-’’

He stops talking and his scolding fades away, as he sees Yona and Yoon stare past the campfire. He turns his head, Eun-Ji stands behind him, almost confidently, arms crossed behind her back.

“Hey guys, I have a confession to make, actually. And I realized, although I do not know the reason why, I have this strange feeling that I can trust you somehow about this.’’

Yona rises from the log she was sitting on abruptly, surprising Hak and Yoon, who sit next to her.

“What is it, Eun-Ji?’’ she questions, taking a few steps forward out of curiosity.

Having all eyes on her now, including Ao, Eun-ji’s eyes widen and her cheeks start to heat up.

“Uh, well…You really can’t tell anyone about this, though. It’s a secret I’ve been keeping for my whole life and only few have seen it,’’ she explains, tugging at the fabric of her long sleeved blouse behind her back nervously. The indecisive side of her slowly creeping up. _Maybe I shouldn’t do this._

She glances at Yona, understanding being written all over her face. Eun-Ji curses the Gods.

“We have a bit of experience when it comes to keeping secrets. Don’t worry, Dear,’’ Jae-ha smirks, though his violet eyes show nothing but compassion. _Who in the name of the Gods are these people?_ , Eun-Ji thinks and lets out a pent-up breath. 

A hand tugs at Eun-Ji’s sleeve and she finds Yona guiding her to sit her down on the log she has been previously sitting on.

“It’s okay’’, Yona says sympathetically. ’’You can trust us, believe me.’’

Eun-Ji nods and starts explaining,

“Well, ever since I have been born into this world, I have had these...abilities to heal. And not just in one way, but two.’’

All of The Dragon Warriors’ ears perk up, eyes on Eun-Ji and her hands. Is she another dragon? _This wasn’t in the prophecy…_

“There’s a way for me to heal wounds and extreme injuries with the shine of the moon. I really can’t explain how, I find myself almost absorbing the moonlight into my body and then it just works. I was able to aid the sick with this often before, even take away the suffering and pain they have been feeling and... release them peacefully into the Heavens,’’ she looks down after finishing her sentence, playing anxiously with her fingers, memories of children and people, too young to go yet, closing their eyes for the last time and laying in her arms. 

A quietness settles, though not quite uncomfortable, it is still painful to talk about it, Eun-Ji thinks.

Yona’s hand finds Eun-Ji’s again, her eyes glassy and a waverly smile set on her lips. Eun-Ji looks up and glances into the round to find everyone watching her with tender expressions. Her big eyes widen, again. _I did not expect this kind of reaction…_

She continues, “Uh, another way is by wound transferral. I’m able to transfer the wounds of a sufferer to my own body and heal myself from that. For this, I don’t need the moonlight, I just need to concentrate on carrying the wound onto myself correctly.’’ 

At this, the eyes of the Bunch widen this time. _Who is this young woman?_

“That’s how you managed to aid all the injuries from the people here, then?’’ Kija questions and Eun-Ji nods her head in confirmation. 

“And you don’t know where you got these powers from?’’ Hak leans forward and Eun-Ji shakes her head.

’’I don’t. I haven’t ever met my parents either, I’m an orphan. I tried figuring out for years now, who passed me these abilities, I was left empty-handed though.’’

_Oh_ , Hak thinks. _An orphan, like me?_

Yoon’s eyes cast toward Eun-Ji’s hands, clutched in her lap, with Yona’s own hand still covering them in a comforting matter. 

“Do you have any other skills beside your magical hands?’’ he asks, curiosity getting the best of him. Yona is wearing off on him, he realizes. Eun-Ji lets out a soft laugh, she comes to a conclusion that she likes Yoon and his humor.

“I do, actually. Surprising, right? I have sufficient knowledge in first aid supply, as you’ve seen, enough to help those who need it. Oh, and a bit of kendo too!’’, she says, her voice and expression failing to hide the excitement.

Jae-ha chuckles, affection swelling for this girl. “And where’s your sword, then? I suppose a stick long enough could pass as one, too,’’ he teases her.

Eun-Ji rolls her eyes, though her grin never falls. “It’s back in the small shed I am currently staying in.’’ Her eyes find Yona’s in mutual understanding for a moment. “I’ve been here helping for quite some days now and a family was gracious enough to let me spend the nights there. I trust them plenty, to know they wouldn't apply it for bad usage,’’ she replies.

“I guess, I wouldn’t do much good with it anyway, it’s a simplistic sword. I’m still learning how to use it efficiently, but since there isn’t anyone to teach me, all I’ve been doing is be guided by a book I bought on a market recently about swordsmanship.’’ 

“You’re learning how to use a sword with guidance of a book?’’ Hak mocks. _I suppose she isn’t too bad…_

The group erupts in laughter at his words, Eun-Ji feeling an overwhelming wave of happiness, joining them in the laughter, echoing across the edge of the forest.

Shin-ah notices Eun-Ji’s iron-colored eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Evoking a new kind of strength in combination with the campfire. 

This girl truly wears her heart on her sleeve.


	2. Moonlight Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i'm back with another chapter, sadly it took me almost a month again, although i finished writing it a week ago? or two? i was quite busy, therefore only one update for the month of november T_T i'm already working on chapter three however, AND hopefully i'll come to writing four as well, so i can update twice for the last month of this (unexpected horrible) year! 
> 
> on a different note, enjoy chapter two for now though! i certainly had much fun writing this, feel free to leave feedback~! :D

A few days have passed since the Happy Hungry Bunch have met Eun-Ji, and yet, they are still staying in the village, since they aren’t fully done helping the villagers.

Eun-Ji saw the bunch a few times when they were carrying supplies of villagers or fixing houses again and though it makes her happy to know they remained here, her curiosity has completely gotten the best of her by now, because _how the hell are these guys able to lift and carry multiple, heavy things_ this _easily?_

It’s complete nonsense to her, so obviously, she _must_ know the reason behind it.

As another evening slowly approaches, Eun-Ji gets a request by an acquaintance to, ‘‘Find wood for a fire outside the main building.’’

She doesn’t question why no one else goes – and why it’s exactly her task to gather wood – and accepts the request.

Realizing she won’t be able to carry as much wood, if she goes by herself, she takes a shortcut to her new mysterious friends and their campsite to ask for help – _once again._

Fortunately, she finds everyone there, Yoon already preparing a dinner for them around their own fireplace. She spots Hak and Yona skinning an animal next to the logs around the fire. Seems like they already caught tonight’s dinner. The other four men – she hasn’t held many and long conversations with them – are spread around the campsite, doing various things. After she told them about her abilities a few nights ago, they in return also told them their names – or more so Kija introducing his companions in a _unique_ way she didn’t quite understand, he called them his _Dragon Brothers_ , but before he could say more, the tall green-haired one whose name appeared to be Jae-Ha, covered his mouth with one hand and hurriedly told Eun-Ji she has to earn the remaining of that sentence in a way. She only furrowed her eyebrows. How was she supposed to do that?

‘‘Hey guys, where’d you get the wood from for the fire?’’ She asks, crouching down to glance at the food boiling in Yoon’s pot above the flames.

‘‘Oh, this? There was already some chopped up near the river, at the edge of the forest,’’ Yoon replies, stirring the food with a wooden spoon. ‘‘Why, do you need some?’’

Eun-Ji nods, ‘‘Yeah, I got a task assigned to bring back wood to the main building for a fire, though I didn’t even know where to get it from.’’ She moves to stand back up, taking a look around at the trees surrounding the clearance they’re resting under.

Yona questions if she will be going alone and Eun-Ji hums in affirmation.

‘‘Can I join you? Going in pairs is much better, considering you won’t be able to carry much on your own,’’ she reasons with Eun-Ji, but she only chuckles and stretches her limbs.

‘‘No offense Princess, but I doubt you could carry more than I can. Besides, if you’re all busy currently, I can just go back again to get more, it’s not a big deal or takes much effort.’’ 

Yona pouts stubbornly and looks around into her group, they all only seem to be nodding or agreeing at Eun-Ji’s words. She huffs out a breath.

‘‘Now, now, we wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself, if you were to be going more than once, Eun-Ji dear.’’ Jae-Ha stands from the log he was sitting on and brushes off dirt from his blue robe. ‘‘Surely one of us can join you – excluding Yona or Yoon,’’ he says and finishes off with a grin. Eun-Ji can already feel Yoon’s complain rising. And she isn’t wrong, because not so soon after, he does speak up.

‘‘I wasn’t going to join her anyway!’’ he exclaims, stirring getting faster by his irritation. Jae-Ha ignores his nagging though, as he spots Shin-Ah’s form, currently petting Ao on the palm of his hand. Eun-Ji eyes widen as she takes note of the way his own eyes seem to light up, at the same time she realizes his upcoming intention – and words. 

‘‘Right, Shin-Ah? You wouldn’t let a lady wander into the forest – and _possibly_ get lost – by herself, would you?’’ Jae-Ha asks him and Shin-Ah’s head immediately rises after having been addressed.

She can’t see any confliction or doubt due to his mask, but she does notice his mouth opening in a round shape, like he didn’t expect being called out, out of everyone here. A wave of sympathy overcomes her. She’s talked to him the least so far, since she’s obviously picked up on his rather quiet and reserved nature. She didn’t want to bother him, as to not pressure him into anything. However, though getting to know him through this possible opportunity didn’t seem bad at all.

So, with an excited smile, she began talking before anyone else did.

‘‘You’re right, I want Shin-Ah to join me. I could definitely need his help.’’

The noticeable confusion he gives off at her words makes her chuckle again, though it fades quickly as she realizes he’s actually moving to get up. 

Standing, Shin-Ah crouches once more to retrieve his sword behind the log he was also sitting on – and places down Ao, who runs and hops onto Yona’s shoulder, opposite of him around the fireplace. He turns to Eun-Ji, nods and says ‘‘Sure.’’

Slightly startled, Eun-Ji turns to watch him already make his way to an opening of the forest, leading eventually to the wood by the river. He does stop to turn towards her again and waits, before entering. The crackling of the fire and buzzing of cicadas more evident now than before in the late afternoon. Eun-Ji sighs, feeling herself getting more relaxed than she had been the whole day.

Taking this as a sign to trail to his side, Eun-Ji gives the group one last grin and says,

‘‘Well, thanks for offering the help! I promise to bring him back uninjured and punctually!’’ She catches the faint laughs and giggles of Yona, Yoon and – she assumes – Zeno.

As the others watch Eun-Ji catch up to Shin-Ah and they start to enter the forest, Hak glances at Jae-Ha in suspicion, questioning the intentions of his offer of letting Shin-Ah join her.

‘‘You think this is going to end well, them going together, or why’d you pair them up?’’ he asks Jae-Ha, who breathes out a laugh, amusement – and a hint of mischief – dancing around in his violet eyes. All-too-familiar smirk sneaking up on his mouth.

‘‘She seemed ecstatic to finally chat with our inexperienced Blue Dragon, give them some time.’’ 

* * *

  
  


Eun-Ji is almost overjoyed walking past the many trees, bushes and uncountable grasses alongside Shin-Ah. Though, he only seems focused on arriving at the river to get the firewood. She obviously didn’t expect him to suddenly start becoming chatty, just because he’s alone with her – hell, she didn’t even think he’d agree to help in the first place. 

This doesn’t bring down her mood though, she still wants to try and at least get to know him a bit, every person deserves to be recognized for who they are. Especially since Eun-Ji thinks Shin-Ah is too unique of a person to be not taken notice of. 

Taking in her surroundings, Eun-Ji smells the warm twilight air as a breeze sweeps through, grazing the hairs on her body and making them stand on edge. It’s calm, this evening. Eun-Ji loves this time of the day, it’s precisely comforting to her and although she can’t give an exact reason as to why it’s making her this calm, she’s still glad – and relieved – she’s currently not alone, wandering past different types of plants. 

She recognizes the singing of various birds hidden in the branches above her and the familiar buzzing cicadas, _they’re everywhere_ , Eun-Ji thinks. The soil beneath her feels stony and boggy and she can feel the mud sticking on the soles of her boots already. 

Somehow unexpectedly, the palms of her hands turn sweaty. She didn’t realize fully until now that she’s completely alone with Shin-Ah. How should she approach him? Suddenly talking to him and acting like they’ve been acquainted for some time feels wrong to her, as it is actually the opposite. 

Suppressed anxiety, which she _absolutely_ despises and which also has the nerve to surface every once in a while, rises from her very core. She is completely bewildered as to why she’s unexpectedly nervous trying to come up with a conversation opener. Her confidence worked perfectly fine with the others of his group – except him. He makes her throat close up, makes her grip her loose pants tight with her _already sweaty_ palms and avert her eyes from him. It feels like Shin-Ah is flawlessly able to read right through her antics, even though all he muttered to her this far was one single word. 

And although she is almost trembling out of nervousness, she gathers up her courage with a bright smile to speak her first sentence.

‘‘Say, Shin-Ah, how did you meet Yona and the others? You’re certainly a distinctive group,’’ she asks, kicking away a small pebble on the ground as she thinks about how almost ridiculously different everyone is in this group. ‘‘I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you in the 18 years of my lifetime,’’ she giggles.

It’s silent for a moment, which – honestly speaking – feels like an eternity to Eun-Ji, before Shin-Ah answers her question.

‘‘It was because of Yona,’’ he replies firmly. He hasn’t looked at her once, not that she knows of. His face remains straight ahead – as if he can see through the trees or something. Eun-Ji frowns, she didn’t expect long answers intrinsically, but then again, this really wasn’t helpful for her getting-to-know-him-plan at all. 

‘‘Oh, really? Seems logical, she’s very lively and curious. I don’t doubt she collected you all, like one would do with feathers.’’

He simply nods and Eun-Ji huffs out a small breath. _This is hard._

They keep walking and enter the forest deeper, the frequent breeze having turned colder the moment the sun began to set earlier. Eun-Ji feels goosebumps rise on her arms under her long sleeved blouse. She isn’t one to freeze easily, but maybe this isn’t just a response of the wind blowing past her.

‘‘You... wouldn’t tell me the reason as to why you’re wearing this mask, would you?’’ She briefly stops talking once she realizes he has actually turned his head towards her now, round shaped mouth returning again. _Shit_ , her question was probably insensitive. ‘‘I mean- it’s just...it looks very special. It’s certainly an unique mask, there must be a meaning behind it?’’ Eun-Ji manages to stammer out hurriedly. 

Shin-Ah stops abruptly, his head now low as he aims his gaze to the ground, and whispers, ‘‘I can’t tell you.’’

For what feels like the hundredth time today, Eun-Ji’s eyes widen.

She shouldn’t have asked. She shouldn’t have and now this whole conversation – or what was at least trying to be one – is about to fall apart. So, Eun-Ji stops as well to turn back to him, regret and empathy making her throat close up tighter than before. 

She stutters her reply, ‘‘Oh... I see- I mean, I understand, absolutely! I’m sorry for asking.’’

All he does is briefly hum out in affirmation – or maybe understanding – and moves to continue walking. Eun-Ji feels sadness wash over her, he won’t tell her the reason, but she can’t help but think if he was forced to wear the mask at all times. 

Tearing herself out of her overwhelming thoughts, she rushes forward once more to him.

_Guess I’m back at the beginning_ , Eun-Ji thinks.

* * *

  
  


Arriving at the river, Eun-Ji runs her eyes over anything which could resemble some kind of firewood collection point, but to no avail.

Huffing out a breath, she spins to Shin-Ah and speaks in a clear voice, ‘‘Shin-Ah, I’m going to look over there,’’ –she points to the opposite side of the river with her index finger, where another part of the forest begins– ‘‘you stay here and search around this area. If you find the collection spot for the firewood, just come back here and wait for me, I won’t take long.’’

As soon as he nods, Eun-Ji hums in agreement as well and hastily spins around to make her way towards the riverside, aiming to skip over the big rocks lying diagonally from one side of the river to the other. 

Yes, she supposes searching on the other riverside was definitely an excuse to escape from this frustrating attempt of a conversation. But can one blame her?

She manages to hop over the rocks easily, though they did appear to be slightly slippery and wet. Impressed with herself, she enters the opening.

This part of the forest already seems unfamiliar to her in a way, colder and quieter, nonetheless she scans the area for this _damn wood_. Eun-Ji soon determines not to walk far and too deep, so she can still find her way back – since it is getting more difficult to see by the time of the day. 

She moves away taller bushes and grasses to look around the edges for any indications of the firewood spot, though unsuccessfully. 

Searching around for quite some time, she feels the air getting colder by the passing minutes and the last light of the day disappear under the dark and many trees. She decides to make her exit back out to the riverside. 

‘‘I wonder if Shin-Ah found the wood. Hopefully he did, I’m getting hungry out here,’’ she ponders aloud. 

A twig somewhere behind her snaps and Eun-Ji spins around in one motion to find the cause of the noise. She furrows her eyebrows, now staring fixated on a large bush. She could’ve sworn it had moved.

Suddenly, another snap, closer now, near her right side, where it gets deeper and darker into the forest, so dark you can’t even make out any tree shapes anymore.

Eun-Ji’s breath hitches, the atmosphere suddenly having turned tense, and why is she freezing now? She knows her assumption is most likely wrong – to her luck, of course – and yet, she still manages to whisper out.

‘‘Shin-Ah?’’

* * *

  
  


The remaining sunlight grazes Shin-Ah’s skin – warming him up, like the touch of a person, a hand – as he waits, patiently, at the riverside where he split up with Eun-Ji earlier. His right arm holding multiple pieces of the firewood logs. He found the collection point upstream, his incredible eyes obviously having been a huge benefit. It didn’t take him long to search and discover the firewood therefore. 

He wonders what could be taking her so long, wonders if she got lost, perhaps. Shouldn’t she have realized by now that she was on the wrong side of the river? Maybe she did and is currently returning, she should arrive any moment now. He’s certain.

Shin-Ah knows their previous conversations haven’t been the most pleasant, he felt how tense Eun-Ji was next to him the whole time. He appreciated her act of trying, at least. It’s just hard for him to open up, nevertheless talk with people he met not too long ago. It’s different from Yona, or Hak, Yoon and his Dragon Brothers – obviously. Eun-Ji is a complete stranger, there’s no relation between them and yet she tried to become acquainted with him.

He hasn’t ever talked to anyone outside his village before, not until recently, when Yona appeared before him, hand held out, eyes burning in determination and brightening the impenetrable darkness of his cave – and himself. Slowly but surely, he got accustomed to his surroundings. He was fascinated by the world, all the colors and sounds and kinds of people he’s met so far, either intentionally or not. He’s missed out on all these things and now he finally gets to _see_ everything. It can't hurt to have another – new – friend, right?

So, he waits, eyes trained on the calm flow of the water. He contemplates starting a talk with Eun-Ji once she returns, maybe it will get easier the more he speaks to her. If only he could think of a topic to begin with. He doesn’t want to mention his abilities or the other Dragons yet, he thinks someone else should introduce her to these things – maybe Kija, he loves mentioning the prophecy every chance he gets.

He is almost too absorbed in his thoughts to pick up on the high-pitched squeal echoing across the clearance and burning into his mind.

Dropping the wood without thinking, he runs towards the river and jumps across the rocks – and almost skips over half of them – Eun-ji used to cross the riversides as well. 

Hurrying, he enters the opening, his eyes already having spotted a dark shadow before to trace the noise from. He moves tall grasses and bushes aside to find Eun-Ji sitting on the ground, the palms of her hands placed on the soil beneath her, as if she had fallen previously, and has pushed herself against a tree trunk. Her knees are bent and used as a defensive mechanism to protect her from whatever was lurking in the greens around them.

His eyes widen behind his mask as he spots beads of sweat glistening her forehead, her own eyes are shut tight, like she is not even daring to open them. Fear visibly emitted from her.

‘‘Eun-Ji!’’ he exclaims loudly, his own voice and its firmness surprising him. 

At the sound of his voice, her eyes tear open and she finds his form. He takes notice of the way her eyes immediately change, from filled with dread to utter relief. Eun-Ji exhales a shaky breath.

‘‘Oh, thank Gods,’’ she breathes out and slumps against the trunk.

Taking this as a signal to scurry to her, Shin-Ah crouches down next to Eun-Ji, one hand clutching his sword in caution – ready to draw it any moment now – as he asks her frantically what happened.

‘‘I was about to leave, when I heard noises and saw pitch-black eyes staring at me through the bushes. I don’t remember which kind of animal it was, but I’m guessing I startled it because of my scream? I’m not sure _where_ it went, but I’m frankly sure it’s _still_ _somewhere_ here and I–’’ she breaks off, her whisper-stuttering failing to stay permanent. Her head falls low briefly, though she lifts herself soon after. It’s almost like she had to collect her thoughts and push aside any frantic behavior for now.

As she lets out another breath, Eun-Ji turns her head to Shin-Ah, iron-colored eyes just about desperately looking at him fixedly through his mask, and manages to whisper once more.

‘‘I’m scared.’’

At this, he feels his own golden eyes harden almost instantly. He moves to stand again, back turned towards Eun-Ji. Finally, he draws his sword from the strap holder across his back and slowly takes a couple of steps forward. With his sword raised, he moves into a fighting stance, ready to attack the wild animal hiding near.

Eun-Ji tries to scramble up, but her legs feel heavy and limp, maybe it’s the intense fright. Instead of getting up, she falls back against the tree, watching Shin-Ah carefully, like he would leave her to perish by herself suddenly.

‘‘Where are you going?’’ she harshly whispers. 

‘‘Stay behind me,’’ he replies with almost a hint of calmness in his voice, like he’s done this a thousand times already. Well, it’s not like she could stand up right now anyway.

Approaching a cluster of broadleaved shrubs, Shin-Ah breaks off branches to spot the gloomy shadow once more. It jumps out of the darkness with a deafening squeak, startling him to take a few steps back again hurriedly and getting into position once more.

A wild boar, as it turns out, has crossed paths with Eun-Ji and Shin-Ah. It’s enormous, its back definitely reaching up until his pelvis area. Curved horns adoring its seemingly dirty head and dark brown fur covers all of its body, the unmistakable big nose snorting out puffs in irritation. Its eyes shine black in the night and Shin-Ah swears he can see glints of red shimmering in its stare under the moonlight, once it fixates on him. 

He doesn’t miss his chance, the moment the boar lets out another squeak to attack him, to slice the blade of his sword into the side of its vigorous body. 

A piercing cry, trails of dark blood dripping onto the boggy soil and the boar vanishes.

He lets out an exhale, like Eun-Ji did previously. His blade is painted red.

Remembering the petrified girl, Shin-Ah spins to find her gazing at him, her distinctive wide eyes already set on him. He lets his sword hang in his hand momentarily, before shoving it back into its respective holder on his back.

‘‘Are you hurt?’’ he asks her, scanning her form for any indication of wounds or injuries. Eun-Ji simply shakes her head and takes his outstretched hand to stand back up, which proves to be quite difficult, as she loses footing almost instantly. Shin-Ah’s other hand secures her though, as he grips both of her forearms firmly. A welp of surprise leaves her lips.

‘‘I might have problems with walking, though,’’ she admits, a sheepish grin surfacing and Shin-Ah seriously questions how she is able to smile now, after having looked absolutely terrified just seconds ago.

He doesn’t let go of her left arm with his opposite hand, as he guides her out of the forest, ‘‘Here, I’ll help you.’’

‘‘Oh, so he _does_ talk, huh?’’ Eun-Ji beams up at him, laughing out loud at the purely confused expression he gives her. She doesn’t need to see Shin-Ah’s face to know he’s baffled. 

‘‘I–’’

‘‘I’m joking, it’s okay, you don’t have to explain. Thank you for helping me, really.’’ 

They walk back across the river, making sure to take slow and safe steps on the rocks, so Eun-Ji doesn’t accidentally slip and make a fool out of herself – or potentially injure herself. Both are possible.

Once they enter the path back to the Happy Hungry Bunch’s camping site, it falls quiet between them again. Shin-Ah lets go of her arm, as soon as he feels Eun-Ji take more secure steps and they set foot into the opening. 

He wants to start a conversation now, based on his thoughts earlier, but before he can even utter out a word, Eun-Ji surpasses him again.

‘‘By the way, what you did back there was amazing. This was the first time I’ve seen someone use the sword _this_ well. Your strike was completely rational! I’m impressed, I couldn't possibly ever use my sword this tactically. I would most likely slice a limb of mine off trying,’’ she chuckles, her own choice of words humoring her. 

She picks up on the huff of a breath he lets out at her phrasing and bites her bottom lip from breaking out into an even bigger grin. 

‘‘No, you could. You just... need to train more.’’

‘‘Well, I–’’

‘‘And maybe... not by just a book, too.’’

A scoff leaves Eun-Ji’s throat. Oh, so he’s got wit as well?

‘‘Excuse you! I don’t have anyone to teach me, you obviously did!’’ she exclaims in disbelief. Furrowed eyebrows emerge on her features, as she stares up at him mockingly, a challenge twinkling in her eyes, the same color as his blade. He doesn’t turn towards her though and keeps walking, face straight ahead, knowing full well, his barricade, built out of protection, would crumble too soon – and easily, if he did. 

Instead, Eun-Ji joins his chuckle, her giggle drowing out his quieter snickers.

The moonlight guides them on their path and the night feels clearer somehow on their way back to Shin-Ah’s group and Eun-Ji’s new friends. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


By the time Shin-Ah and Eun-Ji arrive back, dinner is already finished and the others are just casually sitting around the fire, though some specific individuals seem aggravated in concern – like Yoon. Others have pure worry etched onto their faces, nervous habits accompanying them, like fidgety fingers twirling short hair or feet tapping the ground continuously. 

Yona and the others immediately take notice of rustling bushes and grasses behind them, turning to spot Eun-Ji and Shin-Ah leaving the forest and approaching them. Instantly, Yoon rises from his log, proceeding to drop bandages he had been wrapping and small sealed storage boxes, and stomps towards them. He stops once they stand directly in front of him, one hand taking hold of Eun-Ji’s blouse, pulling her forward and crumpling this part of her attire slightly in his hand therefore.

‘‘Where were you?! What took you so long, it’s been God knows how many hours!’’ he yells, cheeks getting red in color as he scolds them. ‘‘You idiot! Moron! You complete fool, I swear, I was about to let the Thunder Beast go look for you idiots, I–’’

‘‘Yoon,’’ Eun-Ji states calmly, her hand moving atop of his and gently prying his hand off her clothes. Not letting go the referred to hand, she questions, ‘‘Were you worried?’’ The corners of her mouth turning up in a sweet smile.

His eyebrows furrow deep, even deeper, almost like they are about to fall off if he does any more, and scoffing in disbelief as he takes a few steps back once again and drops her hand mockingly.

‘‘Of course I was! Kija would’ve gone mad, if Shin-Ah didn’t turn up again!’’

‘‘Hey!’’ the mentioned man exclaims. And although he doesn’t bother to stand up from his seat next to Jae-Ha on another log, relief is visibly emitting off his face at the sight of his fellow Dragon Brother. 

‘‘Are you sure Kija was the only one troubled by their absence?’’ Jae-Ha asks Yoon, acquiring great pleasure from teasing the younger ones. He doesn’t fail to do so, as the boy’s face just gains more color, almost as red as Yona’s hair or the flames currently crackling in front of them. 

Hak smirks, ‘‘You didn’t look too well either, Droopy Eyes. Your pale face is engraved into our minds.’’ 

‘‘No, you’re wrong, Hak. I think Yoon’s cooking was just very much off tonight.’’

These antics go back and forth for some minutes, and Eun-Ji takes notice of Shin-Ah having moved to sit next to Zeno, who at the sight of his Dragon Brother became elated and immediately patted the seat to him – Ao finds home on Shin-Ah’s shoulder again, nuzzling into the white fur attached to his mask.

After some time of watching the banter between the group, Eun-Ji speaks up suddenly.

‘‘I see, so you guys were not worried about me?’’

Instantly, Yona replies, her big eyes having been set on Eun-Ji the whole time, ‘‘Of course we were! I mean, we still are…’’

‘‘Good,’’ Eun-Ji says and proceeds walking to sit down on an unoccupied log. ‘‘Because if Shin-Ah wouldn’t have accompanied me, that wild boar probably would have killed me.’’ 

Granted, she didn’t expect everyone, except Shin-Ah, to look as surprised or distraught at her words, but it does make her feel good in an honest, or maybe narcissistic, way to know they care about her.

‘‘What happened?’’ Hak asks.

‘‘Are you prepared for a story as long as this one?’’ she questions back, staring into the round and making herself comfortable on the log. As the others nod at her inquiry, Eun-ji’s eyes find Shin-Ah’s face for a split second and she beams.

Yes, she might’ve been almost killed today, but at least she got to bond with him. It definitely was _not_ worth her life, but she does not regret asking him for help either, not at all.

‘‘Well, we arrived at the river and I decided to split up, so we could find the wood…’’ she trails off, realizing just _now_ that she forgot the only thing she was supposed to get back from this night of an adventure.

‘‘I forgot about the wood.’’

The bunch stare at her, some amused and others completely bewildered. She turns her head towards Shin-Ah, to see him wearing an agape mouth as well. 

Well, it seems like he let them slip as well – quite _literally_. 

Eun-Ji’s adventurous night ends with her returning to the main building, a sheepish smile plastered on her face as she apologizes to the expecting villagers. 

Yoon had scolded her before that… again. 

  
  



	3. Burning Perception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i originally was planning on uploading two chapters for december, but life got in the way and i didn't have the energy nor the motivation to do /anything/ except binge a handful of animes. thankfully, i did get a rush of inspiration to write again and managed to finish chapter three!  
> i apologize for the delay, but i hope this chapter does somehow make up for it though! without further ado, enjoy the hhb and eun-ji once again~! :]

‘‘What, you’re leaving already?’’ Eun-Ji exclaims bewildered.

Yona nods and explains how their stay is overdue already, having been here for quite some time, thus the need to move onwards to go look where their help is needed elsewhere. Eun-Ji frowns at her words, not having expected them to go so soon, somehow. She senses a queasy feeling settling in the pits of her stomach.

‘‘How will I know where you are?’’ she asks. In some way, she doesn’t want to separate from them.

‘‘You won’t,’’ Jae-Ha grins. She furrows her eyebrows at his simplistic words.

‘‘No one should know our current position,’’ Yona says.

‘‘Well, except you now,’’ Yoon adds.

A huffed breath leaves Eun-Ji’s mouth. Why is it so hard for her to accept their leave?

‘‘When are you departing?’’

‘‘Sunrise in two days,’’ Hak answers. He has noticed how different Eun-Ji is from everyone else they’ve met so far, whether it’d be about her abilities or her personality, she truly is one of a kind. Surprisingly, Hak thinks she would fit into their unique group just right. He shakes himself out of his thoughts once he sees Eun-Ji’s irritation, and sulking, visibly on her face.

‘‘I apologize for having to drop this onto you so suddenly,’’ Yona says, taking two steps forward towards her and away from her group. ‘‘But we thought it’s better telling you than leaving unexplained.’’

Eun-Ji nods, averting her gaze to the ground and starts contemplating on how to, at least, properly bid them goodbye. Suddenly, a thought appears somewhere out of the corners of her mind.

''Fine, let’s have a banquet at last then! I’m sure one of you can go hunting whilst I ask villagers to help prepare the food as well, I think we’ll manage finding enough for every person. And everyone can join, since you all helped in wonderful ways around here!’’ She grins at her suggestion, already starting to imagine how elated everyone would be at the idea of a feast. They haven’t had those in a while, from what an elderly told her before.

Unexpectedly, they agree to her proposal and look excited too. Especially Zeno, who pulls Shin-Ah down onto his height, arm slung around his shoulders, as he yells happily.

‘‘Did you hear that? Free food, _Seiryuu_!’’

‘‘Zeno, this is about bidding a farewell respectfully! Not about food!’’ Kija nags, all Zeno does though is pull him down onto his previously-empty remaining side, laughing cheekily. 

‘‘Great, let’s start by assigning tasks first however,’’ Yoon says. ‘‘I say we split into groups like previously, it seemed to work well.’’

‘‘Wait,’’ Yona says, as she pulls out her bow from its quiver slung around her shoulder. ‘‘I want to go hunting!’’

‘‘Fine by me,’’ Jae-Ha answers almost immediately. ‘‘Let’s see how much you’ve improved, Yona- _chan_.’’

Everyone else seems to agree and Eun-Ji decides to guide them to the marketplace once again.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Eun-Ji, along with Yoon, managed to assign everyone their similar tasks as the previous ones; Yona and Hak, along with Kija and Jae-Ha, were supposed to hunt for meat around the forest, at least enough for the entirety of the small village. 

Yoon, Zeno and even Shin-Ah stayed with Eun-Ji, which surprised her, considering how elegant he was with the sword the time she witnessed him use it.

What Eun-Ji wasn’t aware of, however, was the glances Jae-Ha gave her and Shin-Ah _multiple_ times when she was busy assigning groups, his oh-so famous smirk already set on his face.

What she _was_ aware of though, was the way he pushed Shin-Ah slightly towards her. She _was_ aware how he managed to switch Kija – who was supposed to be with them – with him and yet she didn’t bother arguing with Jae-Ha. She hasn’t known him for too long, but strikingly, he still felt like an annoyingly older brother to her. Or maybe he just enjoys teasing people, it does seem like it based on how much he pokes fun at the others. Apparently, it’s her turn now to be in his center of attention. 

So currently, Eun-Ji was helping Yoon prepare the vegetables and fruits the villagers specifically chose for this evening. They are in the house of the main cook of the village, who dragged Shin-Ah and Zeno away to help bring back all kinds of available liquors from the same-named store.

Sitting on the floor, cross legged, she cuts up white radish, lotus roots and removes the stems of _maitake_ mushrooms on a wooden board, using a short steel knife lent to her by the villages’ blacksmith.

Eun-Ji glances back to Yoon, who stands over a small fire. Two metal rods hold up the grate made out of the same material, as a handful of sweet potatoes, perched on the grate, slowly soften under the flames.

‘‘Yoon, how do the _satsuma_ - _i_ _mo_ look?’’ she asks, picking up the cut up pieces of vegetables and setting them into a cedar bowl.

‘‘The magic is happening without the need of your abilities, I believe.’’ 

She chuckles at his choice of reply, though it quickly fades into a heavy sigh. Eun-Ji doesn’t take notice of Yoon, who turns at her exhale, watching her cut up a bunch of spring onions and lay them into the previously mentioned bowl.

‘‘What’s wrong?’’ he then finally asks. Eun-Ji startles at his abrupt question.

‘‘Oh! Ah, it’s nothing! I was just thinking how laborious preparing vegetables is,’’ she laughs slightly, trying to cover up her blatant lie. ‘‘I don’t think I’ve ever done this much work for one meal.’’

‘‘Well,’’ Yoon starts as he turns the sweet potatoes on the grate with chopsticks. ‘‘You should be glad Zeno isn’t here then. He would be munching on the fresh-cut ones by now… maybe even finished the whole bowl already,’’ he grins. 

Eun-Ji returns his grin, although the undeniable truth, the truth that she doesn’t want to part from them, lies on the tip of her tongue. One careless mistake and she’ll reveal her honest thoughts to him immediately, and thus the whole group later on as well. Therefore, she does what she’s best at: fiddling with any objects currently nearest to her in anxiety.

She doesn’t understand how it can be possible for someone to feel as attached to a group of (previous) strangers as much as she is, even though she’s known them for only a few days. She considers that maybe this overwhelming fondness exists because of her abilities, however, she can’t decipher the actual reason for it. She huffs out a more inaudible breath this time; this state of emotions is exhausting her.

‘‘Speaking of Zeno, they should be back any moment–’’

‘‘We’re back!’’ Zeno exclaims loudly as he barges into the room, right hand holding onto _only_ _one_ bottle of liquor as his opposite one drags Shin-Ah into the room behind him. Although he seems to be only holding three, he certainly looks overwhelmed by the fast pace they’re managing and the _very full_ and thus _very heavy_ bottles.

‘‘Why aren’t you helping Shin-Ah?!’’ Yoon moves to take one bottle from the mentioned boy and grunts slightly at the surprising weight. ‘‘And what the hell is filled in these bottles?’’

Eun-Ji stands up and rushes to take over Yoon’s now-empty spot next to the fire to keep watch of the sweet potatoes. Thankfully, the previous discussion is disregarded now by the entrance of half of the Dragon Warriors members.

‘‘Kid, you know Zeno isn’t the best at lifting heavy things,’’ Zeno replies back sheepishly, hand scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

‘‘Right, how could I forget,’’ Yoon dryly says.

Eun-Ji glances out the front door as Zeno and Shin-Ah move to place the liquors on a table in the corner of the preparation room. Judging by the golden colors lighting up the outside, the sun seems to be setting already. Worries about the remaining others of the group start to make themselves known in the pits of her stomach.

‘‘Have you heard or seen anything from Yona and the others so far?’’ she asks. The two boys simply shake their heads in contradiction. Eun-Ji nods at their reply and moves to pick up the bowl of vegetables and walks out of the house, heading towards the already alight bonfire in the center of the marketplace. She doesn’t notice the three boys watching after her with confusion and hints of worry etched onto their faces once again.

People seem to be laying down the widest blankets available to find, or decorating tall wooden stakes set in ground, which are distributed slightly away from the bonfire, with specific handcrafted fabrics. Everything appeared _vivid_ and _alive_ for the first time since Eun-Ji first set foot into the village all those months back.

Some have already placed their prepared foods on the aligned tables behind the bonfire, there seems to be a wide range of different kinds of foods; from soups to noodle dishes or dumplings, over to filled pastries and other sweets. Eun-Ji even managed to spot bread buns and _onigiri_ hidden behind bigger plates. 

She is relieved to see everyone lively again, a few months ago when she arrived and decided to help out, she didn’t think there would be someone else joining her in picking the village back up, let alone only wanting to know about her abilities in return. Thanks to Yona and her group, the situation therefore drastically changed – positively – in just a handful of days. If it wasn’t for them, she would probably still be trying – emphasis on _trying_ – to fix random roofs of houses.

‘‘The least I can do is express my farewell to them properly… with _this_ ,’’ Eun-Ji thinks out loud and sets her bowl of vegetables on one of the tables.

Nagging thoughts of _‘‘you don’t want to leave them’’_ and _‘‘your urge to follow them can’t be hidden for much longer now’’_ have been constantly poking fun at her these past hours now and _honestly_ she’s frustrated. Frustrated because her subconscious is simply just reminding her of the thoughts she’s too afraid to admit and say out loud.

Morally speaking, joining them wouldn’t even be a bad decision, considering how well the village seems to be doing by now, therefore, Eun-Ji’s help wouldn’t even be needed anymore.

Besides, she couldn’t stay here forever. As much as she has grown fond of the people, the actual reason why she stumbled upon the village in the first place wasn’t intentional; it was a decision made by fear in a state of emergency. Well, being on the run for four years does trigger your senses very much easier than usual.

So now, another decision, which could potentially change her life once again, has to be made and very soon at that too. There isn’t much time left until the group departs from the village. _I should come to a conclusion soon,_ Eun-Ji thinks as she heads back to the house.

* * *

Eun-Ji’s lavender hair sways gently as a breeze passes by on the cool summer night. Sitting on one of the laid out blankets, legs folded under her, she watches the many people of the village help themselves out at the banquet. 

Many are dancing and singing around the high flames of the bonfire, led by the wind instrument of Jae-Ha and other local wooden instruments. 

Unconsciously, a small smile grows on her face as Eun-Ji feels herself swaying to the delightful tunes as well.

Over the recent hours, she has tried to approach _any_ of the Happy Hungry Bunch members to inform them about her current indecision, but each time, she caught herself avoiding the conversations and quickly dismissing herself to whoever she had been talking to. Using a silly excuse to swiftly get away.

It turned out that Yona, Hak, Kija and Jae-Ha had actually managed to hunt lots of meat in the hours they spent away, although Hak and Jae-Ha told her how terrible Kija had been at hunting. They both received strikes on their heads from _both_ Eun-Ji and Kija _simultaneously_. 

However, listening to Yona excitedly ramble on about how many rabbits she managed to shoot with her bow was _quite endearing._

Ever since the sun set she hasn’t talked to any of them though, too lost in – mostly – her thoughts and the foods and music as well by now.

To be fair, she did sit on a more distanced blanket from where the bonfire is located, no wonder they couldn’t spot her up to now. Well, Shin-Ah must’ve been the exception though, maybe he just didn’t tell the others yet. Eun-Ji recalls how she _still_ hasn’t questioned the four _special_ men about their _very special_ abilities. Maybe she ought to ask before they leave.

A breath leaves her lips, and she drops onto her back on the blanket; arms spread to her sides and hair laying tangled above her.

As she stares at the starry night above her, the moonlight falls onto her form and Eun-Ji starts to feel the tips of her fingers tingle, almost like the uncountable stars watching down on her begin to enter through her hands.

She lifts one hand, staring at it carefully and it seems like she can almost imagine the rays lighting her up from the inside. She can almost imagine the palm of her hand beaming back at her in a white-blue-sh glow.

‘‘Either I’ve lost my mind or this actually just happened…’’ 

‘‘Don’t worry, we saw it as well.’’

She sits up in a jerk at the familiar voice and turns to where it came from.

Hak and Jae-Ha both watch her in amusement, sitting on a log – she didn’t remember seeing next to her until only now – and each holding a small porcelain cup filled with what appears to be _sake_.

‘‘Wh–’’ she starts off. ‘‘Since when have you two been sitting here?!’’

‘‘For quite some time, actually,’’ Jae-Ha replies and lifts his _sake_ cup to delightfully take a sip of the fermented rice drink. 

‘‘Here,’’ Hak grabs behind his back and Eun-Ji recognizes the carafe they both have been sharing, often at dinner nights over fire, appearing in front of her. ‘‘Help yourself,’’ he says and refills his own cup to offer to her.

A giggle bubbles out of Eun-Ji’s throat as she shakes her head and gently pushes the cup back towards Hak.

‘‘That’s kind of you, but I don’t drink. At least very rarely for that matter.’’

‘‘We are the same age?’’ Hak asks ridiculed.

‘‘Not all of us like to be intoxicated from foot to the top,’’ Eun-Ji grins cheekily and hears Jae-Ha sputter in his drink, which only makes her grin wider. Hak scoffs in disbelief – though Eun-Ji doesn’t miss the hint of a smirk on the corners of his mouth – and retreats his hand quickly.

‘‘In his defense, Hak can handle his drink well,’’ Jae-Ha says.

‘‘Are you complimenting me–’’

‘‘Although I think he’s far worse off in a sober state. You should see the way he acts around Yona–’’

Jae-Ha barely feels the strikes on his head which he receives from Hak anymore. She grins at their behavior, it almost seems like Jae-Ha is already used to getting punched from the dark-haired man.

‘‘Anyway,’’ he strokes the top of his head. ‘‘How did you just do that?’’

‘‘Do what?’’ Eun-Ji questions. Maybe she’s becoming intoxicated just by their mere presence.

‘‘The glowing on your palm… ?’’ Hak inquires now as well. Right, _that_ just happened… 

‘‘Oh!’’ she exclaims. ‘‘I actually don’t know. I told you before, there’s not much I know about my abilities, so when something _does_ happen I have no reasonable explanation. It just… happens.’’

They gaze at her again as Eun-Ji lifts her hand, this time the opposite one than before, and almost gawks at it perplexed.

‘‘I wish there were someone to explain all of this…’’

Eun-Ji fails to notice, once more, how Hak and Jae-Ha’s eyes meet and their heads nodding quickly in union. She was always a bit too dreamy to notice changes in her surroundings.

‘‘Well, I’m sure after this eventful day you deserve a nice cup of liquor even more,’’ Jae-Ha persists. ‘‘Eun-Ji dear, loosen up a bit.’’

She stares at the cloudy liquid in the cup offered to her again, contemplating whether or not to actually _loosen up_ _a bit_ for once. _Damn, to hell with it!_

She grabs the cup but stops before lifting it to her mouth to look at the two men next to her again.

‘‘I should warn you; I’m a _very_ light drinker.’’

* * *

Hak’s eyes – and probably everyone elses’ – follow Eun-Ji’s form as she bounces around the bonfire. 

A few hours have passed by now and to Eun-Ji’s luck, as night fell, most of the villagers have already left. By the time the bright moon appeared swimming in the sky, Eun-Ji was too intoxicated to feel embarrassed about _anything_. 

Jae-Ha was right: letting loose once in a while _is_ good for her. Why was she even worried in the first place? There was nothing to worry about! No concerns for Eun-Ji!

‘‘How long has she been jumping around the fire now?’’ Yoon asks, as he sits back down on the blanket currently shared with Yona and Kija, two _mochi_ wrapped in leaves in his hand. He passes one to Zeno who accepts it joyfully.

‘‘Too long, I barely remember when I saw her sober for the last time,’’ Yona replies, though she does not hide the utter awe in her voice. ‘‘I think we shouldn’t have given her any drinks.’’

‘‘I think it’s hilarious,’’ Hak says, certainly entertained at how, although Eun-Ji was aware of how much liquor she can manage, she nevertheless gulped down five cups of _sake_ , _successively_.

‘‘It’s your and Jae-Ha’s fault in the first place. What if she trips and falls into the flames?’’ Kija asks and feels his face redden as everyone stares at him mockingly. ‘‘What?’’ he defends. ‘‘She almost got killed by a boar just several days ago, if Shin-Ah- _kun_ didn’t came to save her.’’ 

The mentioned man – sitting behind Hak and Jae-Ha on a blanket, Zeno next to him – turns his head to Kija at his statement, eyebrows furrowed behind his mask. He feels Ao climb his arm and sit on his shoulder once he whips his head back to the girl currently throwing pebbles into the bonfire. 

Eun-Ji appears completely different than how she had been previously acting, more carelessly, although her smiles and giggles are still alike to when in a sober state. However, Shin-Ah is the only one who manages to pick up on the short-lived but lingering gazes Eun-Ji throws at the group each time she rounds the fire another time. He can tell there must be a reason for her to get carelessly drunk and act impulsively, which influenced her behavior drastically.

Having watched her long enough, Kija moves to stand, brushing dirt off his clothes whilst he begins walking towards Eun-Ji.

_‘‘Hakuryuu_ , are you going to go rescue the Cheery Miss?’’ Zeno questions, licking the remains of _mochi_ off his fingertips.

‘‘I am,’’ Kija simply says.

‘‘Kija- _kun,_ don’t be a killjoy. Look how much Eun-Ji is enjoying herself!’’ Jae-Ha argues which makes Kija stop in his tracks to turn to him.

Considering his nature, he was bound to start worrying about her at some point _and_ having seen a few glimpses of Eun-Ji’s own nature by now, it’s inevitable that he wants to help her.

‘‘She is on the verge of passing out!’’ Yoon objects. Although it was quite amusing to watch her at first, he seems to be just as worried about her as Kija. And judging by Yona’s expression, she seems to feel the same way.

After taking in the looks on Yona and Yoon’s faces for confirmation, Kija takes the last steps to Eun-Ji who, at his arrival, seems euphoric and throws herself around him.

He’s frozen in place as she detaches herself from him and instead puts her arm around his shoulder, pulls them down together and begins to laugh at his shocked – and blushing – expression; mouth agape, wide eyes and everything.

‘‘Welcome!’’ Eun-Ji slurs, swaying with him around the fire, which – after shaking himself out of his stiffness – Kija uses to his advantage and moves the hand _not_ possessed by the blood of the white dragon deity to support her upper back, hoping and wishing she won’t trip and take both of them down simultaneously. ‘‘Aren’t you enjoying yourself undoubtedly as well? This clear night is marvellous, you’re all marvellous!’’ Eun-Ji exclaims and pokes the tip of his nose with her index finger, proceeding to only laugh louder as he scrunches his nose in reaction.

‘‘You’re quite adorable, but in an… innocent way! Has anyone ever told you, Kija- _san_?’’ she asks, eyes wide and spins her head to look at him, but only manages to bump their heads together.

As Kija yelps out in pain and reflexively moves his hand to rub at the chipped spot, all he feels – or more so _hears_ – is a quick _‘‘wah!’’_ before he finds Eun-Ji face planted on the ashy soil. 

* * *

The ointment feels refreshingly cool on Eun-Ji’s forehead as Yoon applies it evenly with a thin piece of cloth. She awakes once she feels her dizziness starting to slowly reduce by the coolness of the oily substance.

Opening her eyes, she feels everyone else's’ on her immediately, although all she manages to see for now is Yoon above her.

‘‘Oh, you’re awake,’’ he says and Eun-Ji takes notice of his unwavering frown straight away.

The atmosphere feels tense, so by the time Eun-Ji realizes she’s laying on the blanket she last saw Yona and the others sit on, she can _already_ imagine what happened. Therefore, she says in a simple, almost annoyed, tone: ‘‘I tripped, didn’t I?’’

‘‘Not only that, but you also took down one of our own comrades.’’ She registers Hak speaking and sets her eyes on him. He appears to be sitting directly next to her and Eun-Ji realizes he is pointing behind his back with his thumb. Following his gesture, she spots Kija laying on the blanket next to her, who is surrounded by Zeno and Shin-Ah the same way Yona, Jae-Ha and Hak are around her. He wears the same thinly applied layer of ointment on his forehead, however his eyes are still closed compared to hers.

‘‘He saw you fall to the ground and started panicking,’’ Jae-Ha huffs out a chuckle on the opposite side of the blanket next to her. ‘‘We had to get him to lay down to stop worrying. Eventually, the pain overtook his state of consciousness.’’

Revulsion at herself began to form in Eun-Ji’s stomach and she let out a groan at this completely ridiculous situation. How much self-control does one need for handling five glasses of liquor? In Eun-Ji’s case a lot is required, apparently. This was supposed to be a night of deciding wisely and carefully, or even just coming to accept the obvious truth.

‘‘Are you alright? You were very much drunk earlier,’’ Yona asks her, voice ever as soft and sympathy emitting off her face. 

Sitting up slightly, Eun-Ji releases another soft groan and buries her face in the palms of her hands, in hopes of being swallowed by them, so she doesn't have to face anyone _ever_ again.

‘‘I’m an idiot,’’ she eventually murmurs.

‘‘No objection,’’ Yoon replies almost immediately, like he was just expecting her to say it at one point. ‘‘I mean, I couldn’t tell you what we witnessed these past hours even if I wanted to.’’

Now sitting straighter, Eun-Ji folds her hands in her lap and stares at them so she doesn’t have to look at any of the people around her. ‘‘This was not supposed to proceed like this, I swear.’’

‘‘What do you mean?’’ Yona asks. _Oh well, here goes nothing!_

‘‘I… I mean, I thought drinking would get me to ease up and help distract me, but not to the point of me barely being able to remember anything! I’’ –she huffs out another breath, daring to quickly glance at each face for a moment before averting her eyes again– ‘‘I’m terribly sorry, I know this isn’t what you all imagined to happen today, but… maybe me not being fully sober yet might actually make this easier.’’

For a split second, she pauses and takes in everyone’s expression, which to her surprise includes Kija, who must’ve woken up by the time she finished talking. And yet, nothing but awaiting expressions, some tiny smiles and seven pairs of eyes fixed on her. Taking this as her cue to continue, Eun-Ji speaks:

‘‘I don’t want to leave you, _any_ of you! Meeting you all was most likely not supposed to happen in any way and yet, I don’t regret telling you about me and what I do. For the first time in my entire _lifetime_ , it feels like there is not only _one_ person but _multiple people_ who understand me and I don’t want to get rid of this feeling. Yona,’’ –she turns to the mentioned girl to find Yona in complete amazement, her violet eyes wide and almost trembling in emotions, which makes Eun-Ji start to ramble even more, hoping to get everything out before anyone can interject– ‘‘I want to help you, with anything which may lay upon you! We both know I will not ever be as strong as any of your companions, but this is what I want. I swear upon my life, I won’t ever leave your side if you please. But… I’m certain this is where I _need_ to be, next to you all.’’

Eun-Ji lets out a breath and although she feels her cheeks dampen, she refuses to look away from Yona, her decision most important right now.

Once the girl in front of her perceives her spoken words and nods assuredly, Eun-Ji feels her head drop in relief. Another long exhale.

‘‘O-Of course, Eun-Ji we would love for you to join us,’’ Yona smiles big and upon seeing this, a laugh escapes out of Eun-Ji’s bubbly throat. ‘‘I hope this is where you are meant to be.’’

‘‘I will even participate in cooking daily,’’ –this time she turns to Yoon, her smile not wearing off upon spotting his stunned expression– ‘‘I promise.’’

* * *

  
  


It’s late in the night, too late to even guess when the sun is going to rise and Eun-Ji is helping Yoon fold up fabrics used occasionally for medical reasons, unaware – once again – of the lingering gazes being thrown at her from across the camping site. Specifically those of Hak, Kija and Jae-Ha. 

They watch as she bursts out laughing at Yoon throwing a cloth at Zeno’s face and scolding him, though all Zeno does is grin brightly at both of them.

The three men, currently gathered next to a thick tree with Jae-Ha leaning against the trunk as the remaining two stand around him, watch as Yona and Shin-Ah join their sides and the group continues finishing their actions of packing up.

‘‘Well,’’ he starts. ‘‘Her heartfelt confession surely threw me off balance for a moment back there.’’

‘‘You weren’t the only one,’’ Hak retorts as he observes how Eun-Ji teaches Yona folding fabrics in a different way _surely_ invented by herself. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips once he sees Yona’s face break out in a lovely and almost excited smile. ‘‘But I guess she will fit right in.’’

‘‘However, I wonder who gave her these incredible abilities. I don’t reckon ever hearing of them before,’’ Kija thinks out loud. At certain times, it seems almost surprising how serious he can become.

‘‘This wasn’t written in the prophecy, was it?’’ Hak questions.

‘‘Not that we know of, unfortunately,’’ Jae-Ha replies.

‘‘And since Eun-Ji- _san_ doesn’t know either where her talents appeared from, it certainly will be more difficult to figure out for us,’’ Kija says.

They look back on their group once more to find them sitting around the already alight fire.

‘‘We can ask her more once we get out of this village, I wouldn’t recommend talking about this with as many villagers around as there are here,’’ Hak says lastly and the two older Dragons nod at his words in agreement. 

Before anyone can add anything else onto his words, Yoon calls for them to gather at the fireplace.

‘‘Alright, since we gained a new companion to join us,’’– he pauses for a moment to grin at Eun-Ji, who returns a beam herself excitedly– ‘‘we thought about resting for the whole day tomorrow before departing the following sunrise.’’

‘‘Therefore, feel free to come visit us here tomorrow before dinner, so we can make final preparations!’’ Yona adds, watching Eun-Ji stand up from a log and brush dirt off her garments. 

‘‘Alright, understood! I’ll see you all tomorrow then?’’ All of them nod at her question, which widens her grin only furthermore. ‘‘Oh, and again… I apologize for the trouble I may have almost caused you earlier.’’ She hurriedly bends the upper part of her body in a bow and straightens almost just as fast again. 

‘‘Don’t worry about it, you can make up for it by using your glowing hands on us as frequently as necessary,’’ Jae-Ha teases.

It’s impossible for Eun-Ji to hide the scowl appearing on her face, which the others notice as well as some of them chuckle at her irritated expression.

‘‘You’ll be the last one I’ll save,’’ she retorts mockingly with narrowed eyes as she glares at the green haired man opposite of her. Hak lets out a loud laugh at her words.

She turns then to head back to the village, huffing out a breath as she leaves in pretend aggravation, since in reality, she couldn’t wait to see everyone again tomorrow. 

Halting on an open field connecting the forest and the entrance of the village, Eun-Ji glances up at the round body shining above her. 

Once more that night, she feels as if she is absorbing the moonlight into her body. The gentle winds sway tall meadows next to her and as she dares one final look back to where her new companions rest, Eun-Ji feels all her concerns and doubts being released, almost like she just traded energy for worries with the moon.

An exhale, a blink of an eye and then she mutters: ‘‘Finally, I found a path for myself.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEAHH, finally!!! eun-ji joining the hhb might seem a bit early, but i got much more stuff planned for the first arc, therefore it had to be now and officially in the next chapter. chapter four will be the last one in the village and starting from five on, the gang will be on their way! who knows what will happen, right? :D
> 
> thank you to everyone who left kudos or even simply read this story, really means a lot and i didn't expect this much attention, honestly...  
> comments are always appreciated!  
> see you next time, which is hopefully soon (but definitely still in january)~!


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